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ADDRESS 



OF 



JOHN DWYER 



Hudson Falls, N. Y. 



MAJOR 63D N. Y. V. 

Senior Officer Living of the Irish Brigade 
Association 



THE 52D ANNIVERSARY 

Held in New York City, December 12, 1914 
Union Square Hotel 



HERALD PRESS 



u 



By transfer 
The V'. • WnTi«9Pi 



Comrades and Friends: 

In compliance with the request of your presid- 
ing officer, I have prepared the story of Freder- 
icsburg, an event that will forever remain green 
in the memory of the renowned Brigade, while one 
remains to answer the roll call on this side of the 
river — yea, while their sons and daughters are 
here to tell the deeds of their sires on December 
13, 1862. 

In our youthful days — in the Great Rebellion — 
one hundred thousand men on the side of the 
Union and as many more in the Confederate ranks, 
was an unusual thing. Today the War of Nations 
beyond the seas, three millions of young manhood 
of six or more countries are engaged in deadly 
strife. Instead of our one to three days' battle, in 
the old world they are counted in consecutive 
weeks and months; and if only fifteen or twenty 
thousand fall in a day, it is a mere "skirmish." 
Should this slaughter continue, the leading na- 
tions of Europe will in truth be nothing short of 
wilderness. 

Comrades and friends! We should sincerely 
thank the good God that we call ourselves Ameri- 
cans, and that three thousand miles of ocean sep- 
arate the Continents. Also that we have a cap- 
tain guiding our ship of State — "Watching and 
Waiting," if you will — who has steered clear of 
European entanglements up to the present mo- 



ment. "A sagacious man who today at the head 
of this nation, walks with recollected feet the im- 
periled path of peace. ' ' 

But to the fair City by the Rappahannock- 
Fredericksburg : 

The Right Grand Division under Sumner, found 
itself on the morning of the 13th of Dec- 
ember, 1862, in battle array in the streets waiting 
for the word to assault the Heights, less than 
half a mile in our front, filled with the Veteran 
infantry of the Army of Northern Virginia, be- 
hind breastworks and on a plateau beyond. Every 
spot on which a field gun could be placed was 
brought into service, protected with earthworks. 
As though this was not sufficient the famous 
** stone wall" five feet high, ran along the base of 
the Heights, in a sunken road, where the infantry 
lay protected. 

This formation was on the right of the Union 
Army's line, and the left of the Confederate's. 
The Left Grand Division was under the command 
of Franklin, one of the ablest soldiers of the Union 
Army. He held the Union left, which threatened 
the railroad from Lee's rear to Richmond. The 
extent of the Union line was less than five miles, 
entirely free from trenches or field works of any 
kind. Our description emliraces only that part of 
the Union Army (Sumner's Grand Division) in 
Hancock's command — 2d Corps, 1st Division, and 
Meagher's Irish Brigade, consisting of tlie 63d, 
69th, 88th New York Infantry; 28tli Massachusetts, 
and 116th Pennsylvania Infantry. 



The assault was made in brigade lines; consid- 
erable interval between the commands. Gen. 
Thomas Francis Meagher commanded the Second 
Brigade (Irish). Capt. Joseph O'Neil, senior 
Captain present, led the 63d Regiment. Was 
badly wounded in the assault. After which Capt. 
Patrick J. Condon assumed command, until and 
after the close of the battle. No field officers of the 
63d were on duty, owing to illness. The 69th Regi- 
ment was in command of Major James Cavanaugh 
(the ''Little Major"). The 88th was led by Col. 
Patrick Kelly (Captain 14th United States In- 
fantry). Subsequently killed. The 116th Penn- 
sylvania had as commanding officer Lieut.-Col. 
St. Clair A. Mulholland (afterwards General, also 
Medal of Honor Man). The 28th Massachusetts 
was led by Col. Richard Byrnes (Captain 14th 
United States Infantry). Fell at Cold Harbor. 
The Brigade line was somewhat demoralized in 
the advance by the presence of a mill-race, the 
frail bridges over which were destroyed by the 
enemy's guns. The men were compelled to wade 
through the stream and climb the opposite bank. 
This disorganized the line of battle. Having 
passed the obstruction, a grand rush for the enemy 
was in order. Previous to this, the infantry fire 
from the Confederates was not materially felt, 
but the field guns were much in evidence. Round 
shot, grape and canister swept through the ranks 
of these five regiments, but not for a moment did 
they halt until fire from the "stone wall" became 
deadly— a steady withering sheet of flame! This 



called for a response in kind, and it came with a 
will, from what was left of those untouched by 
cannon or gun fire. Unfortunately the Union 
troops had no protection whatever, while the Con- 
federates lay behind the ''stone wall" on which 
musketry made no impression. Several lines of 
infantry were securely protected in this sunken 
road, and could load at leisure, and when ready 
come to the front, ''fire and fall back." 

No permanent relief for the Brigade was ap- 
parent, although other brigades of the 1st Division 
of the 2d Corps arrived and tried to advance be- 
j'-ond Meagher's line, but failed after a bloody 
sacrifice. They finally broke and went to the 
rear to reform, and then advance again. So 
deadly were the losses of the Irish Brigade, that 
the officers of one regiment at least (63d) ordered 
the men to fire lying down, and then turn over 
and load their guns again and again. 

Flesh and blood could not stand up before that 
death-dealing sheet of flame, and live. This un- 
even contest was kept up by the five regiments for 
hours, when their cartridges were exhausted, 
and then "fall back to the rear" was given, which 
they did in good order, losing many men while 
doing so from artillery fire. 

This useless sacrifice of life was kept up all 
day on the 13th, and well into the night, by Sum- 
ner's troops. Many regiments that had advanced 
positions were unable to leave with safety in day- 
light, but succeeded in getting to the rear after 
dark, abandoning their dead and wounded. This 



stupid and insane method of warfare was pro- 
longed during the 14th, until the shades of night 
mercifully ended the unequal and bloody contest. 

"Fox's Losses In the American Civil War," a 
volume adopted by the War Department, gives 
Burnside's killed, wounded and missing at Fred- 
ericksburg at 12,653. To be more precise, the 
regimental losses are reported as follows, m 
Meagher's Brigade, viz: 

63d New York— Killed, 2; wounded, 38; missing, 

4. Total, 44. 

69th New York— Killed, 10; wounded, 95; mis- 
sing, 23. Total, 128. 

88th New York— Killed, 17; wounded, 97; mis- 
sing, 13. Total, 127. 

116th Pennsylvania— Killed, 7; wounded, 67; 
missing, 14. Total, 88. 

28th Massachusetts— Killed, 14; wounded, 124; 
missing, 20. Total, 158. 

In that single battle the five regiments of the 
Brigade lost in the aggregate 545, or sufficient to 
make a good sized regiment. 

Its losses in killed and died of wounds in the 
five regiments in the War of the Rebellion were: 
63d, 156; 69th, 259; 88th, 151; 28th Massachusetts, 
250; 116th Pennsylvania, 145. Total, 961. 

It was certainly providential that Lee was in 
ignorance of the movement of Burnside's Army 
on the night of December 14, when the order was 
sent abroad in the ranks that a night attack with 
the bayonet on the Confederate lines would be at- 
tempted, soon as the shades of night covered Fred- 



ericksburg with its mantle. Hours passed, and 
Lee's veterans waited during the chilly December 
night, but no hostile sound came from the Union 
Army. But daylight revealed, to the astonished 
thousands on the bristling heights, a vacated city, 
and the Yankee Army on the northern bank of 
the Rappahannock. The three bridges had dis- 
appeared before daylight as if by magic. 

But the Confederates held possession of the 
dead, wounded and a few thousand prisoners. 

That, in truth, was a "lost opportunity," that 
never again presented itself to the Confederacy. 

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of 
Fredericksburg, the Irish American, of this city, 
published a remarkable poem, from the pen of 
Eleanor Rogers Cox. I offer no apology in adding 
it to this sketch to show that the fair writer must 
have inherited in no small degree the combative- 
ness of the "Fighting Race." 



VETERANS OF FREDERICKSBURG. 



To the surviving members of Meaglier's Irisli Brigade on 
the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg, De- 
cember 13, 1912: 

Who are these who hither marching down the vale of misty 

years, 
From the heights where now the cannon's lips are dumb, 
From the field where Meagher led them, from the field where 

Valor sped them, 
All in broken but undaunted column come. 



Old men, brave men, men of Irish birth! 
Men who on the forehead of their dear new land afar. 
Set the name of Ireland, of their knightly sireland, 
There to shine forever like a star! 



Fredericksburg! the name is graven on the memories of men. 
In immortal script of thunder and of flame. 
And your comrades there who perished, lo! of God and Free- 
dom cherished. 
Gleams their deed upon the fairest height of Fame! 

Fontenoy and Fredericksburg! Inscribe them side by side; 

Sarsfield, Dillon, Meagher, all men of the Brigade — 

Who for every friendship given to their land beneath high 

Heaven 
In the coinage of their heart's fair valor paid. 



Through your veins what hero-fire leaped upon that day! 
What immortal heritage of fear-defying mirth, 
As with cheer outringing, your bouyant ranks went springing 
Forward to the breastworks o'er corpse-bestrewn earth! 



"Forward to the breastworks!" from out the smoke and flame 
Belched forth from Mary's Heights, we pluck the deathless 

word! 
And the motto of your giving shall be motto of our living 
Wheresoever sound of Irish speech is heard! 

Brave men, true men, men of the Brigade! 
Men who followed Meagher of the Sword! 
Look, how glows the God lit ember of that day in far 

December. 
How its memory in our inmost soul is stored! 



